Celebrate the Heart of Country, Americana, and Roots Music!

Drop Us A Line, Y'all

Y'all interested in advertising, partnering up, contributing stories, joining our team, or just got a question? Well, don't be shy, drop us a line!

Follow Us

Check Out These Guy Clark Songs That Blended High Wit With Pure Poetry

Guy Clark Songs
by
  • Arden is a Senior Country Music Journalist for Country Thang Daily, specializing in classic hits and contemporary chart-toppers.
  • Prior to joining Country Thang Daily, Arden wrote for Billboard and People magazine, covering country music legends and emerging artists.
  • Arden holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Tennessee, with a minor in Music Studies.

While Guy Clark recorded more than a dozen studio albums, he is best known as the Texas troubadour, who has written some of the best songs in country music and is beloved by the artist who sang his work. Today, Guy Clark songs continue to influence a younger generation of tunesmiths and are essential to the genre.

So, with that said, let’s travel down memory lane and relish some of the greatest hits of Guy Clark.

1. The Last Gunfighter Ballad

From: Texas Cookin’ (1976)

“The Last Gunfighter Ballad” is a story of a gunfighter who can’t forget the smell of the black powder smoke now that he’s an older man was written by Clark himself – and it truly brilliantly tells the cruel passage of time. Clark recorded the song in 1976, enlisting the era’s leading outlaw for harmony vocals: Waylon Jennings.

A year later, another legend recorded the song! Johnny Cash released it as a single and the title track to his album of the same name.

2. Heartbroke

From: The South Coast of Texas (1981)

A year before Clark released the song, “Heartbroke” was first recorded by Rodney Crowell off his 1980 album, But What Will the Neighbors Think – but it was Ricky Skaggs’ version that rocked the country chart, reaching No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. 

What makes things even more interesting is that it was recorded by George Strait that same year, not knowing it had been recorded by Skaggs about two weeks earlier.

3. My Favorite Picture of You

From: My Favorite Picture of You (2013)

Clark wrote this romantic ballad after the death of his beloved wife, songwriter Susanna Clark. In the song, Clark expressed his profound grief in one of the most dramatic yet heartening ways – and that’s by clinging onto an old photo that symbolized the persistence of their love, despite all the obstacles they went through.

An old Polaroid photo of Susanna actually inspired the song.

4. The Randall Knife

From: Better Days (1983)

Here’s another personal song by Clark, which he wrote after the passing of his father. This intense, tear-stained narrative revolves around a family heirloom that a father used to fight World War II and passed to his son during a Boy Scout jamboree. But the song is more than just a tradition, it shows how an apparently simple item can instill principles and vivid memories.

5. L.A. Freeway

From: Old No. 1 (1975)

Clark, who was once a struggling Texas songwriter, moved to Los Angeles during the 1970s in the hopes of having a successful music career. However, Clark was surprised to find himself in the highway for long hours amid the concrete jungle surrounded by smog.

While Clark had left Texas far behind, his hometown never quite left him. He would sometimes even feel homesick that quitting came to his mind quite many times. It was his love for the music industry that kept him sticking around.

6. Desperados Waiting For A Train

From: Old No. 1 (1975)

Since Jerry Jeff Walker recorded the song in 1973, several more artists followed – this includes David Allan Coe, The Highwaymen, Steve Earle, Rodney Crowell, and so much more. The classic country song tells the story of a young boy who looked up to an old man who showed him the ropes. 

According to Clark, the song was not something he had made up – it was inspired by a guy who was like his grandfather. “And when I started writing songs, that was one of the songs I knew I was gonna write at some point,” he said.

7. She Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere

From: Old No. 1 (1975)

Clark writes about leaving the world behind from a female hitchhiker’s perspective whose only goal is to survive. While the restless woman was taken to far less important places, she mustered up the courage to leave her troubled life behind. Indeed, Clark brilliantly summed up the drive and willpower briefly as he compared her to prisoners who “have a way with a file.”

8. Homeless

From: The Dark (2002)

Clark shed an empathetic and compassionate light on the human stories behind the countless homeless all over the United States. This includes Betty, who’s been on the streets for so many years that she’s way past complaining.

9. Cold Dog Soup

From: Cold Dog Soup (1999)

While many would romanticize the life of a poet, Clark knew first-hand that living it was another story. The profession may give you the opportunity to rub shoulders with all the brilliant and legendary people in the world – still, you might not be able to pay your monthly rent on time. He sings more about that in the playful and catchy “Cold Dog Soup.”

10. The Dark

From: The Dark (2002)

The title track of Clark’s 2002 album beautifully captured the perfection of how striking the lights are whenever it breaks the darkness and, of course, the sound of the still of the night. Clark will then bring you to a rational reflection on human existence that will definitely make you ponder.

Some More Guy Clark Songs From The Texas Troubadour

Indeed, the songs of Guy Clark turned into vibrantly timeless country ballads. Check out more of his tunes below.

  • The Guitar
  • Stuff That Works
  • Anyhow, I Love You
  • Sis Draper
  • Out in the Parking Lot
  • Let Him Roll
  • That Old Time Feeling
  • Fools for Each Other
  • Maybe I Can Paint Over That
  • Hell Bent on a Heartache
  • The Partner Nobody Chose
  • Hank Williams Said It Best
  • She’s Crazy for Leavin’
  • Tornado Time in Texas
  • Instant Coffee Blues 

How about you? What are your favorite Guy Clark songs?

Latest Stories

Mary MacGregor performs "Torn Between Two Lovers" live in the 1970s, holding a microphone with a soft, emotional expression that captures the song’s quiet heartbreak.

“Torn Between Two Lovers” Might Be the Most Soft-Spoken Cheating Song Country Music Ever Adopted

In a decade full of outlaw anthems, trucking songs, and Conway Twitty slow burns, nobody saw this one coming. Released at the tail end of 1976, “Torn Between Two Lovers” ...

WWII Marine Corps veteran Don Graves, age 100, sits in a Nashville recording studio wearing a military hat and red shirt, having just signed his first country music record deal.

This WWII Veteran Just Signed His First Country Record Deal at 100 Years Old

There are country songs, and then there are country lives. Don Graves didn’t just live through one of the bloodiest battles in American history. He came home, built a life, ...

Split image of Toby Keith and Blake Shelton performing with guitars; highlights the backstory of how Shelton’s label passed on “I Wanna Talk About Me,” which became a massive hit for Keith.

Blake Shelton’s Label Rejected “I Wanna Talk About Me” and Toby Keith Turned It Into a Monster Hit

Every artist’s got one: the song that got away. For Blake Shelton, it just happens to be one of Toby Keith’s biggest bangers. Blake recently dropped by The Tonight Show ...

Split image of Zach Bryan performing live on stage with guitar and John Moreland playing guitar in a studio; reflects their public feud following a canceled collaboration.

Folk Musician John Moreland Says Zach Bryan Was Rude, a D*head, and Not Who You Think

Well, the gloves are off in Oklahoma. What started as a cryptic shot from Americana singer-songwriter John Moreland has now turned into a full-blown fallout with country megastar Zach Bryan, ...

Carrie Underwood appears as a judge on American Idol, amid speculation she may not return next season—not because of backlash, but because she knows she belongs on the stage, not behind the desk.

American Idol Was Renewed but Carrie Underwood Might Not Return for the Right Reasons

Carrie Underwood isn’t the problem with American Idol. In fact, she may have been the best thing that happened to the show this season. But if the rumors are true ...

Garth Brooks' Mississippi lawsuit was dismissed but the California case continues.

Garth Brooks’ Mississippi Lawsuit Is Over, But the California Case Is Just Getting Started

A Mississippi judge has dismissed Garth Brooks’ lawsuit against his former hairdresser as “moot,” ending one chapter of an ongoing legal battle. But don’t let that ruling fool you. The ...

George Strait, seen performing with his signature black cowboy hat and guitar, recently revealed he may only have five years left on the road

George Strait Says He Has “Maybe Five Good Years” Left to Tour and That Sound You Hear Is a Million Hearts Breaking

You never want to imagine a world where George Strait isn’t somewhere on a stage, guitar slung over his shoulder, letting the steel ring through the rafters while the crowd ...

Carrie Underwood speaks passionately as a guest judge on American Idol, wearing a floral purple outfit, while fans react online to her controversial critique.

Carrie Underwood Faces Idol Backlash After Fans Call Her Critique Rude and Unfair

Carrie Underwood knows a thing or two about American Idol pressure, but some viewers think she brought the wrong kind of heat this week. After Sunday and Monday’s Top 5 ...

Vince Gill smiles while playing guitar onstage at the Grand Ole Opry as his granddaughter Everly and daughter Jenny Gill join him, creating a touching three-generation family moment.

Vince Gill’s Granddaughter Everly Steals the Show with Surprise Grand Ole Opry Debut

There’s legacy, and then there’s bloodline. And when you’re Vince Gill’s granddaughter, stepping onto the Grand Ole Opry stage isn’t just a “moment”, it’s a birthright. On Saturday, May 3, ...

George Strait pays tribute to Johnny Rodriguez following the late singer’s passing.

George Strait Honors Late Country Legend Johnny Rodriguez With a Heartfelt Tribute

Country music legend Johnny Rodriguez, one of the genre’s most groundbreaking voices and its first major Mexican American star, died Friday, May 9, in San Antonio at 73. His daughter, ...